


Found in the Stars

by nutmeg223



Series: Homefires in the Stars [2]
Category: Firefly
Genre: Discipline, Domestic Discipline, Domestic Fluff, Families of Choice, Gen, M/M, Multi, Siblings, Spanking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-21
Updated: 2016-05-21
Packaged: 2018-06-09 19:54:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6920806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nutmeg223/pseuds/nutmeg223
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Exhaustion does horrible things to Simon's temper. River is certainly not helpful.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Found in the Stars

As luck would have it, Mal and Jayne entered the galley just in time to see Simon and River shove back from the table and face off.

"But the reality of lunch is broken, Simon!" River protested, sounding highly aggrieved.

"You are living in this reality, River! This one! And in this gorram reality, you are going to sit down, shut up, and eat your fucking lunch without fucking editorial comments the quantum nature of lunch!" Simon shouted, at his wits' end.

The galley went silent. River reared back as if slapped, before the light of battle appeared in her eye. It was possibly the most normal sibling interaction anyone on board had ever seen from the Tams. As River opened her mouth to respond in kind, Mal and Jayne sprang into action. Mal put an arm around River's shoulders, while Jayne took Simon, and the quick-marched the siblings in opposite directions before emotional or actual bloodshed occurred.

Jayne didn't say a word until he got Simon down into his bunk. He knew soon as Mal got River settled, he'd be along, but be needed to take care of Simon. They had some time, though, so he sat on his bunk and pulled his boy into his lap. Simon was shakin' something awful, and Jayne reckoned he needed a little cossetin' before they got to what came next. Simon curled up in his embrace and turned his face into Jayne's shoulder, hiding from the world.

"I need to apologize." Simon's sad, quiet murmur near broke Jayne's heart.

"Reckon you do." Jayne agreed. "For shoutin' and cussin', at least."

"To River...and everyone else." Jayne felt Simon's cheeks heat with anticipated embarrassment.

"You look at me right now, boy." Jayne's stern tone had Simon's head snapping up.

"You gotta apologize t'your sister, for shoutin' and for cussin' at her, but you ain't gotta apologize for layin' down the law. You been needin' to remind her who her big brother is. Dong ma?"

Simon nodded, biting his lip.

"Might could apologize to the crew, too, but private-like. No need to embarrass yourself overmuch."

"Yessir. I wil." Simon still sounded so gorram sad.

"Now, and you tell me truthful 'less you want to see how soap tastes, you get any sleep last night?" He knew the answer, but he wanted Simon to tell him.

"River had nightmares." Simon admitted, squirming.

"Mmhmm. And you were at breakfast while she slept?"

"Yessir." Simon murmured.

"You nap after breakfast like Mal told you?"

"I tried!" Simon felt desperate tears pool in his eyes. "I really tried! Everyone needed something this morning!"

Which, when you took into account the past few nights of no sleep tendin' to River, and maybe a few catnaps here and there, it weren't no surprise that the boy was shakin' and crabby as hell.

"Once we're done here, I'm puttin' you to bed. Ain't no one gonna bother you down here."

"Are you going to...am I going to get…" Simon trailed off.

"I'm goin' to stand you up, take your pants right off 'cause you ain't gonna need 'em for a while, an' put you over my knee." Jayne suited actions to words.

"You don't go shoutin' and cussin' like that, boy. All you do is hurt yourself an' other people." Jayne wasted no time in landing a hard smack on Simon's pale bottom.

Simon yelped and wiggled as Jayne settled into a rhythm. He wasn't aiming for red, just a good, tender dark pink. Simon needed to feel punished, but he was so tired Jayne didn't figure he'd need much. He wanted their boy settled down and sleepy. He had some of them one-piece pajamas for him, too, with a good, generous flap at the back. It'd be easier to get 'em on Simon when his boy was all sweet and pliant after gettin' his backside warmed.

Sure enough, Simon had started drumming his toes against the floor and squirming once his bottom flushed pink. He yelped and squeaked at each smack, clearly upset. Jayne tipped him forward a bit and spanked where he sat. Simon howled at the sting and threw a hand back, trying to cover himself.

Completely undone, he begged. "Pleeease! Please, no more! I'll be good, I swear! Pleeease!"

The pleading nearly stilled Jayne's hand. Nearly. He moved Simon's hand and pinned it at the small of his back so he could spank harder for a spell. Wrung out and exhausted, Simon burst into noisy sobs. He spanked his boy's bottom to dark pink and stinging mightily before he finished. Simon sobbed over Jayne's knee, weepin' like he'd lost everything.

Jayne rubbed and patted his back, settlin' him down slowly. Once the worst of the tears had tapered off, Jayne stood Simon up and wiped his face.

"You surely do need sleep bao bei. You stand right here, an' I'll get some pajamas for you." Jayne ignored Simon's flushing and shifting and snagged the pajamas, pulling Simon to stand between his knees as if it were the most natural thing in the world to dress a grown man.

"We got some new pajamas for you...keep you nice an' warm. Step right in bao bei." Simon stepped in.

He was tired enough, and sore enough, to do exactly as he'd been told. Jayne brought up the top and threaded the boy's arms through the sleeves before buttoning up the front.

"Now you lay down, bao bei."

Simon lay down on the bunk, obviously fading. Jayne pulled a couple of blankets over him and tucked him in. He sat next to Simon and rubbed a hand up and down his spine.

"You're goin' to be nappin' every day 'til you stop lookin' like something the cat dragged in, little boy. If your sister's stayin' in bed, then you are too. I'll be tellin' Mal about it, an' if we catch you up and about, you can count on a sore backside." Jayne lectured gently. "I don't fool around with that."

"I understand." Simon murmured.

"You're our good boy, Simon." Jayne patted Simon's back before starting a lulling rub again.

Simon slowly slipped toward slumber, all snuggly under the blankets. His bottom hurt, but his heart felt lighter. Jayne's hand rubbed warm and solid, sending him further toward sleep. He gave into the pull and sighed happily, letting slumber claim him. They could sort out everything else, later.

* * *

 

"C'mon over here, doc."  
  
Simon jumped when he heard Zoe pause in her knitting, still coming out of the story he'd been reading.  
  
"Huh?" he blinked at her, Victorian England on Earth-that-was fading slowly.  
  
"Don't aim to repeat myself." Zoe gestured to a spot near her feet with her knitting.  
  
Simon, still unsure of what was going on, clambered to his feet from the floor cushion he'd curled up on and scuffed over to Zoe. He was acutely aware of everyone watching, the sudden quiet almost overwhelming. He'd gotten used to the steady click of knitting needles in the evenings; no one on Serenity ever had idle hands. When he stood where she indicated, Zoe held the dark green sweater-front up to him and 'hmm-ed' approvingly.  
  
"That's all." A clear dismissal.  
  
Confused, Simon took refuge back on his pillow between Mal and Jayne. They, at least, were behaving normally. Mostly.  
  
"You and your sister need warmer things." Zoe explained quietly. "Don't expect you had much time to consider wardrobes before."  
  
"And Zoe's best at sweaters." Mal brushed a hand through Simon's hair. "I'm a sock man, myself. Never got the hang of all those fancy stitches."  
  
"I don't knit," Jayne announced, sounding a little more gruff than usual. "But your sister's pickin' out some patterns we can make."  
  
"Taught me a thing or two about invisible mending, let me tell you." Wash winked at Simon.  
  
"You try havin' six sisters an' one Ma. You'd be learnin' to sew right quick." Jayne pointed at Wash with a thimble-covered finger; Simon didn't know they came in that size.  
  
"I got sick of going around pinned together." Wash confided as he matched buttons to a shirt; he sat with Jayne and a pile of mending. "Real turn-off for the ladies."  
  
"Yes dear, because the shirts and the moustache weren't enough." Zoe's needles clicked steadily. The shadow of a smile played over her lips.  
  
Simon snorted a laugh.  
  
"It's fun, Simon! I never got to pick before!" River beamed at him. "He's particular about what suits. And also my hair is a rat's nest. There will be brushing."  
  
Simon couldn't help but smile back at her.  
  
"Brushing is good, mei mei. You won't scream?"  
  
River gave him that particular look that suggested he stored his brains in his boots.  
  
"Some people don't pull too much. Doctors' hands are supposed to be gentle."  
  
"An' don't think you're squirmin' out of pickin' out some patterns too," Jayne interrupted before any squabbling could start, and bonked Simon on the head with a thimble-covered finger. "Yard goods is cheaper an' ready-made out here."  
  
Simon smiled up at him before leaning against Mal's knee and closing his eyes. He'd had a good nap that afternoon, after Jayne had spanked him. He'd woken up slowly, deliciously warm and comfortable, to Mal and Jayne cleaning some of the weaponry. He hadn't even minded the pajamas, so much, since they were wonderfully warm. The pajamas combined with the bedhead, though, he'd minded. Sort of. At least until Mal had shown him exactly how handy that flap at the back was. And that was all he was thinking about in polite-ish company.  
  
He was tired again, though, probably from years of an accrued sleep deficit. He enjoyed listening to the steady click of knitting needles and the low murmur of Jayne laying down the law to Kaylee regarding River and anything involving ruffles or lace. The soft, homey sounds reminded him of childhood, of countless nights in the nursery with Nanny. He sighed happily as Mal briefly cupped the back of his head before going back to the socks in progress.  
  
Mal felt Simon's weight settle against him more heavily and looked down. The boy had fallen asleep sitting up. Mal caught Jayne's eye and jerked his chin toward Simon. The big merc set down the shirt he'd been mending and knelt down to take Simon in his arms. Simon snuffled and turned sleepily to Jayne's shoulder as the man rose, but didn't wake. Jayne shifted him to a more comfortable position and carried him off to bed.  
  
"Happy memories," River murmured, watching Jayne carry her brother out of the room. "You'll have to help, you know."  
  
"Help with what?" Mal asked, brow furrowing as he turned a heel.  
  
"Help make more." River quickly marked a few patterns in the book before picking up the shirt Jayne had been working on. "Hasn't had family in a while. It's good for him at the bottom of the pecking order. He likes it."  
  
That said, she bent over the shirt, picking up where Jayne had been darning a tear. Mal mused a bit on that one, and briefly wondered if he should let River handle sharp objects. Simon would have objected, but she had deft hands and seemed to know what she was doing. In any case, he was asleep, and many hands made light work, his Ma had always said.  
  
And an occupied River was much less dangerous, all things considered.

 


End file.
